Automobile-lock.



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ROYAL C. MOORE AND ROBERT kE. BRADEN, OF WAYZATA, MINNESOTA.

AUTOMOBILE-LOCK.

vTo all whom it may. concern:

Be it known thatwe, ROYAL C. MOORE Bram-3N, citizens of the United States, residing at llVayzata, in the l Ido hereby declare the following` to` be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,

" manner as to render impossible to use or such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the SEUHQ.

Our invention has for its object to provide animproved lock and lock signal for. automobiles, and to such lends, generally. stated, the invention consistsv of the novel devices and combinations oi" devices hereinafter described and defined in the claims.

The lock is designed to secure relatively movable' parts of an automobile in such run the machine, and the signal device serves to indicatethat the look has been'set, to thus put `the machine out of commission. l

From a broad point of View, the lock may be applied to any ltwo relatively movable parts Vof the machine, which parts require Imovement, the one in respect to the other,

in the running operation of the machine, but it is especially adapted for application to two hubs, one 'of which is lsecured on the steering wheel and the other onthe steering post casing, and this is the application illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

l In the accompanying drawings which illustratethe invention, like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings: -Figurel is a View in elevation showing the lock applied as above indicated; Fig.' 2 is a view partly in plan and partly in section showing the lower hub'to which the lock and signal device are' applied; Fig. 3 is an'enlarged view corresponding'to lig. l with some parts sectioned and some parts broken away; Fig. 4

is-a bottom plan viewkof the upper hub with which the lock cooperates; Fig. 5 is a view partly in elevation and with some parts sectioned approximately on the line m? m5 on Fig. 2; and'llig. 6 is a view partly in section and partly in diagram, the parts in section corresponding closely to Fig. 5, and the diagram illustrating the signal circuit.. i

Speccation of Letters' Patent.

' raten eea July e, i915.

Application led .Tune 1', 19M.` Serial No. $45,820.v

The numerals 1,2 and 3 indicate, respectively, the steering wheel, the steering post,

and the steering post'casing, which parts may be of the usual or any suitable construction. The numerals 4 and 5 indicate, respectively, the upper and lower hubs with which the 'lock mechanism coperates. I Both rotation with' the steering wheel, while the. lower hub 5 is secured to thestcering post casing, and h'ence, is secured against rota'- tion. These two hubs 4 and 5 are preferably formed with interlocking segmental iianges and '7, respectively, which, when engaged, hold the two hubs against axial separation,

and which may be engaged and'disengaged only when the said flanges 6 and 7 are turned y completely out of registration. Preferably,

the said flanges 6 and? are but a trifle lless, than ninety degrees in extent, so that they can be engageable and disengageableyonly when turned apparently out or registration.

rl`he lock proper is preferably applied to the lower and relatively xed or non-rotary hub 5, and the 'upper hubl is preferably made detachable from the hub proper ofthe steering wheel, but held for rotation there?` with, by means of upwardly extendedarms 4: that interpose between the spokes of the said steering wheel. In this described arrangement, the hub 4f is really supplemental to the hub proper, to the steering wheel, and is adapted for application to steering wheels already in use, but in applying the lock to new machines, the said upper 'hub would properly be cast integral with, or as a part of the steering wheel. The upper hub 4: is formed with a circumferentially spaced 'ser ries of lock bolt seats or detents- 8.

The lock proper comprises a lock bolt 9 mounted to move vertically in a seat '10 formed in the lower hub 5 concentric to the casing 3. The upper end of this lock bolt .9 is preferably tapered or made conical 'to adapt it to more readily enter one or the other of the lock seats 8 in the upper hub.' The said bolt 9 is rounded to form a seat for a pivoted outwardly spring-pressed d o 11, the point of which is engagcable wit cooperating lock tumblers' 12. These lock 'tuinblers l2 are mounted in a suitable recess of these hubs surround the steering post casing 3, and the upper hub-4; is secured for ripheral notches 15, which, when alined,.

permit the free end of the dog 11 to move outward into the same, so thatby proper rotation of the knob and tumblers, the lock Logfuolt 9 may be drawn downward into an inoperative position shown in Fig. 3. lObviously, and unless all three of the tumblers are set to the proper. combination, some one? or tlie other of the tumblers will hold the dog 11 pressed into the lock boltlso that it cannot be drawn downward by rotation of the knob and tumblers. The lock bolt is thus' drawn downward by rotation of the knob and tumblers in direction of the arrow 'marked on Fig. 5, and by rotation of the knob, and tumblerls, in the opposite direction, the flat surface of the notches 15 will engage the free end of the dog 11 and force.

the lock bolt 9 upward into one or'the other of the lock seats 8 of the upper hub 4, thereby locking the steering wheel Vso that it cannot be manipulated to steer the machine. Uusally, of course, the wheels-of the machine will be turned sidewise, or at an angle to the rear wheels when-locked. Attention is here also called to the fact thatthe lock seats 8 are so alined to the lock bolt 9 that the interlocking iianges 6 and 7 cannot be turned out of registration in any one of the locked positions of the hubs and steering wheel.

The movement ofthe lock bolt 9 into an operative position, also does another important thing, to-Wit, it operates a so-called lock signal. This is preferably accomplishedas follows:

The numeral 16 indicates a contact extended' through :in-insulating sleeve A17 applied through the lower hub 6 adjacent to the lock bolt 9 and having a laterally bent end with which the said lock bolt 9 is engageable when, and only when, raised from its normal position shown in Fig; 3, into its locking or operating positionshown in Figs. 5 and G. The numeral 18 indicates the wires of the signal circuit, which circuit includes i i a battery 19 and a signal lamp in the form of a small electric bulb 20. One of the lead wires 1s connected to the above noted Contact 17, and the other is grounded through the hub 5, and hence, through the fock'boit 9.

The electric light bulb 2O is preferably placed within a small casing 21 secured on the lower hub 5 and provided with a trans parent face 22 on which, advisably, ywould be marked the Y Word Locked Also, the case 21 may have one or more light lenses 23, which may be colored, if desired.

When the machine is thus actually locked;

and the'l signal device 'set in action to ind1.

For example, it might be applied to the starting crank, and the statement that it is applied to elements that require movement, one in respect to the other in the runof the machine, is intended' as well as other modified arning operation to include this, p

rangement v or application of the device..

AThe signaling mechanism herein disclosed is not herein claimed, but will-be made the subject matter of a divisional application.

What We claim is:

1. In an automobile, the combination with. y

a pair of coperating hubs Awhich require rotary movement,'one '1n respect to the other, in the running operation of the machine, the

v said hubs being normally interlocked against axial separation, of a lock bolt applied to one of said hubs, and the other hub having a.

lock bolt seat coperating with said blt to hold the said hub members interlocked.

eoV

2. In an automobile, the combination with a pair of coperating. hubs which .require movement, one in respect to the other, in the running operation of the machine, of a lock bolt applied t'o one` of the said huba'theother hub having a lock bolt seat coperating with said lock bolt, the said hubs having interlocking segmental ianges adaptin the hubs to be separated only when turne out of registration, the said lock bolt and detent of said hubs being arranged to ihold the interlocking flanges of said hubs more or less in registration when the said hubs are locked against rotation. y 1

3. In an automobile, the combination with a pair of coperating hubs which require movement, one in respect to the-other, in the running operation of the machine, of a lock bolt lapplied to one of said hubs, the other hub having a plurality of circumferentially spacedlock bolt seats coperating with said lock bolt, and the said hubs having interlocking segmental flanges adapting the hubs to be axially separated only when said. flanges are turned out of registration.

4. In an automobile, the combination with a steering post and steering. post casing, the said steering post having a hand piece se cured to its upper end, of coperating hub portions intermediately, below said hand piece, secured, one to the upper end of said steering post and the other to the up- 75 applied at various different placesl on the machine.

per end of said casing, the said hubs having interlocking flanges adapting the hubs to be separated only when turned out of registration, and a lock bolt applied to one of the said hubs, the othezl hub having a lock bolt seat copeati'ng With sadbolt to hold the flanges of said hubs in interlocking e11- gagement.

RYAL C. MOORE. ROBERT E. BRADEN.

Witnesses;

HARRY D. KILYON, F. D. MERCHANT. 

